37. Where Dreams Begin

[Gravity Epoch]
[Yanjing Gravity Era Technology Co., Ltd.]
[Brief Tour]
[Yanjing Brief Tour Apex Technology Co., Ltd.]
[Joyful Coffee]
[Yanjing Joyful Coffee Co., Ltd.]

"A small step today, a giant leap for the future."

Chen Ze stepped out of the registration agency, the time already past four in the afternoon. The sunlight, piercing through the clouds after the rain, was exceptionally dazzling.

All three companies had been filed for registration; it would take about a week for the business licenses to be ready. Although there would be plenty of work ahead, he wasn't worried—these were minor matters.

After some thought, he ultimately decided against plagiarizing Luckin Coffee and instead created an original brand. He had already come up with the slogan:

"A cup of true joy, a chance encounter with a surprise."

Two cups, two chances.

It was a bit cliché, but wasn't that how marketing worked? Wasn't that the face of every capital-driven brand? Besides, Chen Ze didn't intend to build a world-dominating, high-end brand right out of the gate; he only needed to chase down Luckin. If he were to truly pursue a high-end positioning, he would wait until the supply chain and all other aspects were fully mature.

Chen Ze chose this name for his coffee because names like Luckin and Pizza Hut were deeply memorable. In his previous life, after he started his own business, a young girl at his former company had asked him to treat her to coffee, specifically naming Luckin and Pizza Hut. The name "Luckin" translated to "good fortune," and the meaning behind Pizza Hut was even more straightforward. If you felt something was missing after all your hard work, it had to be luck—people just wanted a good omen.

The average person in China had this pain point, and marketing was either about going against human nature or feeding off it. While "Joyful" (Xinxi) might sound a bit common, it embodied happiness, surprise, and hope—a good omen indeed. Furthermore, his own name was Chen Kaixin; the second reason was simply to please himself. Nothing was better than being happy. If the international giant called itself "Lucky Coffee," he would call his "Joyful Coffee." It was just a game of who could be more cringeworthy.

The English and Chinese names were set, but the color scheme and logo were still pending. Should he use orange or red? Should he use a koi fish, a sheep, or a panda? Chen Ze personally envisioned a panda holding a bamboo tube (mimicking the action of drinking coffee) with an orange-red color palette. But he decided to gather some opinions first.

...

"I've arrived. Where are you?"

Before the sunset, Chen Ze reached the location Qin Yanan had sent on WeChat, situated near the World Trade Center. He stepped out of his ride-hailing car, clutching his phone as he looked up at the CBD skyscrapers, feeling a strange surge of excitement.

"Come inside and wait for me in the lobby."

The voice of the beautiful, sophisticated woman echoed in his earpiece, alluring enough to stir the imagination just by its sound.

He was such an idiot in his previous life, trying to play the part of a gentleman.

"Alright."

Suppressing his lewd thoughts, Chen Ze hung up and walked straight toward the glass skyscraper opposite the "Big Pants" building. Ah, wonderful—the CITIC Tower hadn't been built yet; everything was perfect, absolutely perfect.

The only one suffering was Chen Tianhong. His old man probably couldn't even drink water without getting it stuck in his teeth right about now.

Chen Ze had given Su Wei 300,000 yuan to gather about 16 workers, and they had already gone on strike. This afternoon, a banner had been unfurled at the entrance of the construction site; the media arrived faster than the security guards. To maximize the impact, Chen Ze had even instructed Su Wei to arrange for water trucks to wash the gate, creating a scene. During a video call halfway through, feeling it wasn't enough, he told Su Wei to spray the passing vehicles as well. Naturally, he didn't aim directly at people, but many innocent passersby still ended up soaked.

Only when internal conflicts turn into social issues can the media become fish in water.

The reason Chen Ze had the workers strike was actually to help his father shoulder some invisible pressure. The reputation of Hongye Construction could not be tarnished; he had to find a scapegoat. The workers' opposition was against the developer and the contractor—the developer was Banghe Real Estate, and the contractor was Chen Tianhong. Chen Ze was now imitating Cao Cao, who sacrificed the grain officer to relieve pressure and shift conflict. That grain officer was Huang Zhongshan.

Setting that aside, the main reason for this commotion was to force society and the property owners to focus on Banghe Real Estate. The power of the owners was immense; they would help Chen Ze keep an eye on Gong Yaowu for free. Once the strike took place, the next step would follow immediately.

Wu Zongliang was useful to Chen Ze, providing tangible benefits, but some people were useless and could be discarded. Two days ago, he had written numerous whistleblower letters, even intentionally creating some "oops" moments—like taking a letter denouncing a deputy director and delivering it to that same deputy director's subordinate office. Chen Ze didn't have any concrete evidence on hand, but he roughly remembered why these people had fallen from grace.

He wasn't someone who hated evil with a passion. He didn't care if these people were brought to justice, nor did he care if the letters sank into the sea. He was simply doing his best to block Gong Yaowu's path.

Step two of the plan: [Besiege the enemy to leave an exit].

Of course, plans never keep up with changes. The idea was beautiful, but there were bound to be hitches. Just like now, his mother was calling again.

Chen Ze prepared to enter the building, but seeing Su Meiqing's name, he hesitated for a few seconds before walking to the other side of the entrance and picking up, his fingers tapping against the glass.

"Xinxin, come back quickly! Why haven't you been answering your phone? Your father wants you home."

Su Meiqing's voice was tinged with urgency; she must have learned about the situation at the construction site. The drama had calmed down, but the undercurrents were surging, and all parties were paying close attention.

"My uncle already told me."

Chen Ze had considered whether to be honest with his family or let his parents know what he was doing. Finally, he decided to confess half the truth.

"Mom, believe it or not, I have to tell you: the workers' strike was instigated by my uncle."

"What? Your uncle?!"

Su Meiqing gasped in shock. She never expected her son to say such a thing, let alone believe her brother would...

"Yes, it was my own uncle who did it."

After giving a firm answer to shift Su Meiqing's focus, Chen Ze added earnestly:

"Mom, it's complicated to explain now. Just listen to your son: your immediate priority is to get Dad home, and then you both need to go hide somewhere."

"It's not that serious. Just come back. What are you doing out there?!"

Su Meiqing remained composed. Ignoring the situation with Su Wei for a moment, she continued to urge Chen Ze to return home.

Chen Ze sighed helplessly. "What time do you think it is? How can you say it's 'not that serious'?"

He wanted Chen Tianhong to hide because he was afraid Gong Yaowu would be desperate enough to bite his father. Besides, with his cousin and several senior executives at the company, things wouldn't fall into chaos; Chen Tianhong’s presence at the office would only cause more trouble.

"I’ve already made arrangements with Lawyer Jiang. You'll understand once you meet her tomorrow. Don't worry about the money I have; that's just quenching thirst with a mirage."

On the other end, hearing Chen Ze's serious tone, Su Meiqing paused, confused. "What do you mean, Xinxin?"

Wasn't this just a worker dispute? What was her son talking about?

"Sigh."

Seeing her like this, Chen Ze couldn't help but feel frustrated, as if he were playing a game with a terrible teammate.

"Mom, I'm your own flesh and blood. Would I ever harm our family? Don't be influenced by external factors; you just need to listen to me."

Even in 2024, there was still a generation gap between Chen Ze and his parents—a mountain that felt impossible to cross. The "suppressive education" and the "humble culture" had left him, and many others, feeling suffocated. Especially with Chen Tianhong—it had lessened after he entered high school, but in the past, he would always use belittlement to negate Chen Ze's spirit. Whenever Chen Ze achieved something and wanted to share it, his father would call him arrogant, conceited, or a "paper soldier."

Fortunately, his parents weren't extreme; it hadn't reached the point of bitter complaining or sarcastic cynicism. They could still talk, though not about much. However, given his parents' current impression of him, Chen Ze didn't waste his breath. Some things were ten thousand times more effective coming from Lawyer Jiang than from him.

"Mom, trust me. You'll understand the situation when you meet Lawyer Jiang tomorrow as I said."

"I trust you, but what are you doing? Please, just come back. It would put my mind at ease."

After these few days of contact, Su Meiqing naturally understood the changes in her son; at the very least, he had matured a lot. With Chen Ze suddenly making things sound so serious, she felt lost and helpless.

"I’m handling some business in Yanjing and can't return just yet. Don't worry, Mom, I've already made all the arrangements."

"Then watch your safety out there. Come back as soon as you can to help your father."